Dr. Lisa Stein-Haven, Associate Professor of English at Ohio University Zanesville, loves teaching the written word. But her true passion for silent film has led her to research and write about Charlie Chaplin – his art, his writing, his family, and influence. Stein-Haven’s research and writings have earned her the well-deserved title of “Chaplin expert”, across the globe.

Chaplin, a pioneer in film, comedy, and movie production, is considered by many to be the most important icon in the history of film. “Charlie Chaplin was among the first true celebrities of the film industry”, Stein-Haven toldAIR magazine, when interviewed for their July, 2014 article,Funny Face. She remarked that Chaplin’s “First feature film, ‘The Kid’, in 1921, was one of the first to combine comedy and pathos”, cementing Stein-Haven’s belief that Chaplin’s influence and legacy live on in contemporary film, today.

Since 2014 marks 100 years since Charlie Chaplin first created and embodied his Little Tramp character on the silver screen, Chaplin fans knew the time was ripe for a celebration of Chaplin’s life and work. Italy’s film archive, Cineteca di Bologna was eager to lead the way, and enlisted Dr. Stein-Haven as the keynote speaker forCharlot 100, a three-day Chaplin celebration held in Bologna, Italy.

Her talk entitled, "City Lights Magazine, the American Counterculture and Chaplin’s Little Tramp, 1952-77” was heard by more than 200 conference participants including various filmmakers, actors, and Michael Chaplin, one of Chaplin’s remaining children. It is clear that her message was well received; the Chaplin organization posted a photo of Stein-Haven on their Facebook page, with a note that,“Keynote speaker, Lisa Stein Haven, helped make the conference a success.”

The official Charlie Chaplin Facebook pagealso was quick to promote Dr. Stein-Haven’s new book, scheduled to be released in November. In the book, “A Comedian Sees the World”,Lisa provides her own introduction and notes to supplement Chaplin’s travel memoir, which was originally published as a set of five articles in the magazine,Women’s Home Companion, in the 1930’s. The book is Stein-Haven’s second about members of the Chaplin family. Her previous work, Syd Chaplin: A Biography, chronicled the life of Charlie Chaplin’s brother. The new book, shows Stein-Haven’s growing expertise in all things Chaplin. “A Comedian Sees the World” is available for pre-order now onAmazon.